It's Been So Long
by Amoretti2008
Summary: My first FNAF story! This is the story of the humans who became the animatronic characters for a family pizzeria. AU. Will contain romance later on. Rated T but there will be a few M rated chapters; you will be warned. Summary is crappy but the story is great! First chapter has been updated; I posted the rough draft by mistake
1. The Charles Family

It's Been So Long-Chapter 1

A/N: Hello all! This is my first ever Five Nights at Freddy's fanfic, and I hope everyone likes it! This is definitely AU, and there will be romance. The pairings will be FoxyxChica, FreddyxBonnie, GoldxMangle, and MikexMarionette. Just trust me on the GoldxMangle and MikexMarionette; you'll see how they make sense as the story goes on (I promise that they aren't just crack pairings from my twisted mind!). As of this A/N I have not completely finished the story yet but do have plans to pair Jeremy with someone as well; we'll see what happens. I've noticed that a lot of people either think Bonnie's a girl or choose to make him so. I won't be doing this; Bonnie has been confirmed to be a boy and I will keep him that way, so I guess right here is where I should put the yaoi/slash warning… Also, Marionette's gender has not been confirmed officially as far as I know but will be a girl in this story. The final thought regarding character genders just came up while I was revising. I've seen online (particularly on DeviantArt) where people are debating whether or not Mangle is a boy or a girl since Mangle is meant to be Toy Foxy. I, like most, assumed Mangle is a girl. The games seem to indicate this as Mangle is among the cast of animatronics to be wary of for the "Girl's Night" challenge on the Custom Night of Five Nights at Freddy's 2, but I don't know for sure.

The story starts before the characters were animatronics, so I'll write a quick list here of the FNAF characters and their human names, as well as the names of their parents/spouse so there's no confusion. Here's the list:

Zachary and Fiona Charles are the parents of 16 year old twin boys, Benjamin (who will be Golden Freddy, though he will always be called Gold in this story) and Benvolio (who will be Freddy)

Peter and Beatrice Harris are the parents of a 15 year old son, Jack (who will be Bonnie)

Daniel and Lyndsey McDonald are the parents of a 13 year old daughter, Regina (who will be Chica)

William and Anjelica Rogers are the parents of a 17 year old daughter, Calypso (who will be Mangle), and a 14 year old son, Killian (who will be Foxy)

Thomas and Melina (who will be Marionette) Burton are the parents of a 12 year old son, Bruno (who will be Balloon Boy, called BB for short)

Springtrap will be in this story as well, though his human identity won't be revealed yet

Human characters in this story will be Jeremy Fitzgerald, Mike Schmidt, Fritz Smith, and Purple Guy/Phone Guy. Yes, I watched MatPat's game theory for FNAF2 and totally bought it. If you don't like the "Phone Guy is Purple Guy" theory, then this story isn't for you. I know that FNAF3 basically debunked this theory, but I didn't know that when I started writing this story, so oh well; it is AU.

There will also be a few OCs. One is an adult, Sebastian Burrell, and another is April Anderson, 13 year old cousin of Benvolio and Benjamin Charles who will become Song; her mother Violet and sister January will also be appearing. Two other minor OCs are Anne-Sophie LaHaye and Suzanne Fitzgerald.

Ok, disclaimer time! I do NOT own Freddy, Gold, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, Mangle, Marionette, BB, Springtrap, Jeremy, Mike, Fritz, Phone Guy, or Purple Guy. They copyright to Scott Cawthon. I do own the FNAF characters' human forms and their families, Sebastian, April, Anne-Sophie, Violet, January, and Suzanne, as well as this story and its plot. Oh, and a quick note on Purple Guy: the aliases he is using (explained later in the story) are my creation. His real first name is the one that appears to be most popular on DeviantArt and Fanfiction; it is my understanding that Rebornica is the originator of that name. His real last name is my creation as well.

It's Been So Long-Chapter 1- The Charles Family

"Hey Benvolio! Have you seen my developer? I wanted to check out the pictures before I start messing around with the light settings for the stage," Benjamin, his twin brother, asked. The younger twin pushed his headphones off of his ears.

"Huh? Sorry, Benjamin; didn't hear ya. Jack gave me this tape of this really cool song, and I can't stop listening to it!"

"Heh, that doesn't surprise me, little brother. You and Jack are obsessed with music!"

"You're only older than me by 4 and a half minutes, Benjamin. Anyway, what was it you needed?"

"You seen my developer?"

Before Benvolio could answer, an angry yell came up from the stairway. "BENJAMIN ROBERT CHARLES!"

"Uh, I think Father may have found it," Benvolio answered quietly. Benjamin sighed.

"Crap…I knew I should have used a better container than a scotch bottle…"

The blonde made his way down the elegant staircase and to his father's study. "Yes, Father?" he asked as respectfully as he could. Zachary Charles scowled at his son.

"How many times must we go through this, Benjamin? Don't put your damn developer in my scotch bottles!"

"I put a label on it, Father. Plus, I cracked my bottle by accident, and I had to use something."

Zachary glanced at the offending bottle on the desk and saw that there was, indeed, a label in Sharpie reading "Benjamin's Developer" on the side. Benjamin knew better than to expect an apology from the disgruntled man, however.

"Dump it out," Zachary demanded calmly.

"What?!"

"DUMP IT OUT!"

"Zachary, what's all the fuss about?" a soft voice asked from the doorway.

Both men looked to see Fiona, the lady of the household.

"Your son put his damn developer fluid in one of my scotch bottles again!" Zachary growled.

"My bottle cracked-"

"Enough excuses, Benjamin! DUMP IT OUT NOW, DAMMIT!"

Benjamin snatched the bottle off the desk savagely and stormed out of the study. Fiona sighed and followed her older son out of the room. "Benjamin," she called gently. He turned to face his mother, face softening.

"I can't just dump it out, Mom. I need it," he explained.

"I know, my dear. Here, come upstairs with me."

Benjamin followed Fiona up the stairs to the master bedroom. He watched as his mother walked over to her vanity and retrieved a glass bottle.

"Use this for your developer. It's a perfume bottle, but you need it. It's never been used, so it won't mess up your fluid."

The blonde smiled. "Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome, Benjamin." Fiona kissed her son's forehead before turning and leaving her room. Benjamin took the perfume bottle and the "sacred" scotch bottle and went back to his and Benvolio's room.

"Is everything okay?" Benvolio asked concernedly as soon as his older twin entered.

"Yeah. Father threw a fit and told me to dump my developer, but Mom got me a bottle for it." Both boys sighed.

"Mom's gonna go down and try to talk to him, and the ole bastard's just gonna bitch and moan about how we're wasting our time and should be lawyers, blah, blah, blah…" said Benvolio.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Zachary's angry voice boomed from the staircase about his lazy, good-for-nothing sons amidst Fiona's gentle pleas for understanding. A knock at the door announced the presence of Jillian, the maid.

"Benvolio, Mr. Harris is on line 1 for you."

The brunette smiled. "Thank you, Jillian." He jumped up from his bed and walked over to the phone. "Hey, Jack. What's up?" he greeted his best friend with a huge smile. Upon hearing the answer, however, Benvolio's smile faded into a frown. "Aw, I'm sorry, Jack Rabbit," he said sympathetically (A/N: The "Jack Rabbit" thing will be explained next chapter). He knit his brows in thought, but his thought train was derailed by the loud slam of the front door. Benjamin walked over to the window and watched as their father jumped in his car and took off.

"You'd think he was in Super Off Road, drivin' like that," the older boy observed.

Suddenly, Benvolio had an idea. "Hey Jack Rabbit, why don't we go to the arcade? I'll call the rest of the gang and see whose gonna come. ..Awesome! See you there in 30 minutes, Jack! Yup! Bye!" Benvolio hung up the phone and sighed.

"Jack alright?" Benjamin asked.

"His old man keeps lecturing him about not having such… 'homosexual tendencies'," Benvolio answered with a growl.

The blonde shook his head. "I don't know why he cares so much if Jack's gay or not. Even if he is, he's still Jack."

"I know. It hurts him so much that his parents don't just love him the way he is. Well, I think his mom is better about it than his dad, but still…"

"Anyway, you said you'd be seeing him?" questioned Benjamin.

"Yeah, I thought going to the Party Palace Arcade with the gang might make him feel better," said Benvolio.

"Here, I'll go ask Mom, although I doubt she'll say 'no', so you can call Regina, Killian, and Calypso."

"Thanks!" the brunette answered, picking up the phone again. "…Hello? Hi Calypso…"

Benjamin went downstairs and to the kitchen. "Hey Mom, can I ask for a favor?"

Fiona smiled. "Sure, if I can ask one of you and Benvolio."

"Deal!"

"Alright. Your Aunt Violet just called. She has to attend a nursing conference, but her plans for April fell through, so she asked if we could take April for a few days. Her train arrives in 25 minutes. Can you pick her up and bring her back here?" Fiona asked.

"I can pick her up, but that brings me to our favor. Benvolio just hung up with Jack. He really needs friends and a distraction right now, so we promised to meet up at Party Palace in a half hour. Benvolio's calling the others right now. Could we go? We'll take April with us. She's met everyone before and she fits right in."

"Of course! Just remember your curfew; be home by 10:00 unless you call and let me know you've been delayed."

"Thanks Mom!"

"You're welcome."

Benvolio came into the kitchen. "Everyone's good to go. Dr. McDonald was a little nervous at first but he still agreed to let Regina go. I think he felt better after he found out everyone was going and Calypso and Killian could come get her."

"Well, you guys all have fun!" said Fiona, giving her sons each a kiss.

"We will, Mom," they answered as they turned and walked to the front door.

"Hey Benvolio, we'll have to make a slight detour," said Benjamin as they headed down the sidewalk.

"Why?"

"Aunt Violet's sending April on the train. She has a nursing conference."

"Oh, okay. Regina will love having another girl along," said Benvolio.

"After she's done checking Killian out when she thinks no one's looking," Benjamin teased.

Both boys laughed. Regina's "secret crush" on Killian was only a secret to Killian himself; the red head, while very book smart, tended to bet a bit dense with things like crushes.

"Let's see…how about I'll go to the train station to get April, you go get Jack, and we'll meet up at the Boardwalk sign?" Benjamin suggested.

"Great idea!" With that, the twins went their separate ways.


	2. The Harris Family

Chapter 2-The Harris House

A/N: This chapter and the next 3 won't be quite as long, as a lot of the plot was covered in Chapter 1 since Benvolio will end up being the main character. Also, the song mentioned in this chapter, "Youth Gone Wild", is a song by Skid Row that was released in 1988. I'm fudging the year to fit the earlier 1980's timeline in this story. Anyway… I still don't anything except the story, plot, OCs, and human identities. Everything else still belongs to Scott Cawthon. Please see chapter 1 for a detailed breakdown of what's mine and what's Scott's

Jack finished the last few chords on his current favorite song, "Youth Gone Wild". "I'll have to see if Benvolio liked the song too, and maybe we can sing it for the next show!" The two boys liked to play and sing for shows at school or anywhere that they could, really. Benvolio sang, Jack played guitar, and Benjamin did stage setup and special effects. Once in a while, Regina or April would sing, too. Calypso didn't sing, and Killian was too self-conscious to sing. Story-telling however, was another story entirely. Jack grinned at the thought of doing another show with his friends before standing up and putting his guitar on its stand, stretching.

"Jack, can you come here a minute, please?" his mother, Beatrice, called.

"Be there in a minute, Mom!" The boy stood and pushed his inky hair out of his face (A/N: Yup, he's got black hair as a human) before going to his mother. He walked into the living room, where Beatrice was seated on the couch with a pile of fabrics, her sewing machine set up on a small table in front of her. "New order?" Jack asked curiously.

"Mmhmm. Sister Theresa asked me to make her daughter a dress for her formal, but she's having trouble picking a fabric, so I'm trying to see what I can do," Beatrice answered. She was a designer by trade and could never turn down a request from one of the church members.

Her son picked up one of the fabrics, a sheer lilac. "Hey, if Sister Theresa's daughter doesn't want this one, do you think you could make me a bowtie with it? I love this kind of fabric!"

"When are you going to stop this, Jack?"

He turned his head to see his father, Peter, standing in the doorway.

"When are you going to stop this… homosexual behavior? You're more interested in the fabric than your mother's clients, and you never are interested in spending time with any young ladies; you'd rather spend all your time with that Charles boy. I'm concerned—"

"Peter, why don't you go to the bedroom and we'll talk in a minute, okay?" Beatrice interrupted. She sighed as she watched her husband go and looked to her dejected son. "Jack, you know how your father worries…" she said.

"He worries about what everyone at church would think if he had a gay son," said Jack bitterly.

Beatrice stood and hugged her son. "He worries about your salvation, Jack. I do, too, but I'm not so convinced that being gay is a one-way ticket to hell."

Jack sighed, "Well, you called me down to talk?" he prompted, hoping to change the subject.

"The church is having a social, and I would really like for you to go."

Jack's frown deepened. This sounded like an attempt at a set-up to him. "Mom, I told you I'm not interested in dating right now."

"I know, honey. This isn't an attempt at a blind date. Just come and socialize for a little while. It would mean a lot to me." Looking at the doorway one more time to make sure Peter had gone up to their room, she said, "You can invite Benvolio if you want. I know you feel better when he's with you. You two are practically brothers!"

Jack smiled weakly. "When is it, Mom?" He had a hard time denying his mother when she was being so understanding.

"In 3 weeks, on Saturday at 4:00."

"Okay," he answered simply before turning and going back up to his room. Beatrice sighed and went up to her own room. Peter was sitting on the bed, frowning.

"Peter why do you feel the need to have a go at Jack all the time?"

"Beatrice, the boy could be damning himself! I don't want my boy going to hell!"

"I don't either, but even if he _is _gay, why does that have to mean damnation?"

Jack heaved a sigh; he could hear his parents arguing. "Why do I have to be a freak show? Why doesn't anyone love me for who I am?" He flumped himself on his bed and laid back, dangling his head off the edge and staring at his dresser. As he did so, his eyes fell on his red bowtie. The tie had been a gift from Benvolio, who knew how much Jack liked it but wouldn't buy it for fear of what his father would say about his "tendencies". Jack's face heated up as he thought about his best friend. "Benvolio loves me the way I am," he reminded himself. With that thought in mind, he sat up and picked up the phone from the nightstand before dialing the familiar number. "Hi Jillian! Is Benvolio home?... Thanks hon!" Then a pause. "Hi Benvolio!...Dad's off on a tangent again. He asked me how long we were gonna go through my 'homosexual tendencies'…It's alright, Ben Bear." There was a pause as Benvolio "hmm"ed in thought. Jack smiled as he thought of the nicknames they'd given each other in kindergarten that they still used once in a while, Ben Bear and Jack Rabbit. Neither of them could remember who started it, but it was a testament of their bond. Then Benvolio suggested the arcade with all their friends. "That sounds great! Thanks so much, Benvolio! You're the best!...Okay, see you in 30!...Buh-bye!" Jack quickly went to the mirror, made sure that his clothes were presentable, and put on his favorite red bowtie. Then he went downstairs. Both of his parents were on the couch, Beatrice sewing and Peter flipping through sheet music. "My friends invited me out to the arcade," he told them.

"Party Palace?" Peter asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Go ahead, Jack. Have fun, honey," said Beatrice before Peter had a chance to respond. She jumped up to hug her son.

"Thanks, Mom. See you later." Jack went outside and sat on the brick ledge to wait for Benvolio and Benjamin. It wasn't long before his brunette best friend came walking up the sidewalk.

"Hey Jack! How ya doin'?"

"Great, now that you're here," said Jack, smiling as he hopped down from the ledge. Benvolio smiled in return and gave his best friend a much needed hug, which was instantly returned.

"Where's Benjamin?" Jack asked as they separated and began walking.

"He had to go to the train station to pick April up."

"April's coming to town?" Jack asked.

"Mmhmm. Aunt Violet had a conference."

"Awesome!"

The two besties chatted the whole way to the Boardwalk sign, where Benjamin and April were waiting.

"Benvolio! Jack! Hello!" April squealed as she hugged them.

"Hey April!" said Jack.

"Safe trip?" Benvolio asked.

"Yup!"

"Alrighty guys, let's go meet the others," said Benjamin.

After another few minutes of walking, Party Palace Arcade came into view.


	3. The McDonald Family

Chapter 3- The McDonald House

The McDonald women were bustling around the kitchen preparing food. Regina paused quickly to glance at the recipe card before resuming her task.

"Regina, how are the potatoes doing?" her mother, Lyndsey, asked.

"Great! I just carved the pulp out. I have to mix in the rest of the ingredients," Regina answered.

"Perfect! That means everything will be ready by the time your father comes in and gets unwound from his day." Lyndsey, a journalist by trade, loved to cook for her family and was ecstatic when her daughter showed all the signs of a talented chef. Indeed, Regina could cook better than most fancy restaurants!

"Lyndsey! Regina! I'm home!" said Daniel McDonald as he came in the front door.

"Hi, Daddy!" Regina answered.

"Hi, dear! How was your day?" Lyndsey asked.

"Busy! There's a nasty respiratory virus going around with flu-like symptoms, so I had a lot of panicked parents bringing their children in just in case." Daniel was the town's doctor.

"Poor things!" Lyndsey said sympathetically.

"There was one little girl, Anne-Sophie, who was crying because she didn't want to be sick; she wanted to be at summer camp with Miss Calypso," said Daniel.

His wife and daughter giggled.

"Killian said that Anne-Sophie is Calypso's favorite! Oh, but don't tell anyone! All the preschoolers are supposed to be her favorites," said Regina.

"How is Killian?" Lyndsey asked, smiling slyly at her daughter. The girl's cheeks turned a pretty shade of red.

"He's fine…"

"I know you think so!" her mother teased.

"MOM!"

Daniel cut in, "Regina, you're developing into a beautiful young lady. I, for one, want to make sure that young Mr. Rogers treats you with the respect you deserve."

Regina groaned as she saw her father going into protective mode. "This is Killian we're talking about! He's my best friend! He's been my best friend since we were babies!"

"Calm down, Regina," said Lyndsey. "We're just looking out for you. Besides, I know perfectly well what a gentleman Killian is."

Suddenly, the phone rang. Regina scrambled to answer it. "Hello? Hey Benvolio! You rock; you just saved me from a very embarrassing conversation!...Oh, shut up!...Aw, poor Jack Jack! …Yeah, sounds awesome! Let me put you on speaker and check." The blonde pushed the appropriate button before addressing her parents. "Mom, Dad, Benvolio wants to take Jack Jack to the arcade to cheer him up and he's invited the whole gang. Can I please go?"

"I don't see why not," said Lyndsey.

"I'm a little nervous about you walking by yourself, Regina," said Daniel.

Benvolio snarked, "Dr. McDonald, Regina's future sister-in-law volunteered to walk down and pick her up on the way. Calypso and Killian are both going."

"Shut up, Benvolio!" Regina said again, cheeks darkening.

"Well…" said Daniel.

"Please, Daddy?" Regina asked with puppy dog eyes.

The doctor smiled. "Have fun, sweetheart."

Regina grinned. "I'll be there!" she told Benvolio.

"Alright! See ya soon!" he answered.

"See ya!" said Regina and she hung up. The girl then giggled and ran upstairs to put on a better "going out" outfit. Once satisfied with her choice, she pulled her long blonde hair into a ponytail and slipped on her flats before running downstairs.

"Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!"

"Bye, Regina!" they answered, each giving her a hug before she skipped out the door. Lyndsey stood at the living room window until she saw Calypso and Killian walk up for Regina. The trio smiled and waved to her, a favor she returned. Then they headed off.


	4. The Rogers Family

Chapter 4- The Rogers House

Calypso pulled the front door shut behind her and kicked off her sandals.

"That you, Calypso?" her mother, Anjelica, asked as she came into the room.

"Hi, Mum. Yeah, it's me."

"How was your day?"

"Good. Quiet today."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah. A lot of the children were sick today, including Anne-Sophie."

"Aww! I hope the poor things feel better soon!"

"Me too! Speaking of quiet, where is everyone?" Calypso asked.

"Your father-" Anjelica started.

"Is right here!" said William, coming downstairs.

Anjelica smiled. "Your father is right here, and Killian is in the library reading."

"Of course!" Calypso answered with a smirk. "Hi, Dad."

"Hi sweetie. Good day?"

"Quiet, but yes, good." The girl then went upstairs and changed out of her work clothes and into something more comfortable. Calypso worked a temporary job at the summer camp, where she supervised preschoolers. The director of the summer camp had known the Rogers family for quite some time; she had been the one to help Anjelica get situated in the neighborhood and at her teaching job at the high school after she and William moved from England. She also sometimes allowed Calypso to take the kids to the docks to ride one of the boats with William, who was a sailor. After getting comfy, Calypso walked down the hallway to the "library". It wasn't a traditional library; all four members of the Rogers family were avid readers and had opted to tear down the wall between the two spare rooms and make a library for all their books instead. She found her younger brother stretched out on a sofa reading _Treasure Island_. "Boo!" she exclaimed.

Killian jumped and looked up. Upon seeing his sister, he scowled. "Nearly gave me a bloody heart attack, Calypso!" he growled.

"You'll live," said Calypso dismissively. "So, what're you reading?"

"_Treasure Island_."

"Should've known it'd be that or _Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_. This one seems to be your favorite right now, though"

"What's not to like about it? Pirates, adventures…"

"Your perfect book!" his sister teased.

Killian grinned in agreement and sat up so his sister could sit as well. The siblings were chatting about their days when the phone rang. "Got it!" Killian claimed, getting up.

Calypso got there first. After asserting her maturity as the older sibling by sticking her tongue out at her little brother, she answered the phone. "Hello? Oh, hey Benvolio! What's going on?...Poor dear!...Of course! We'll both be there!...Is Regina going?...Yeah, I know how Dr. McDonald worries. Tell him that Killian and I will come get her on our way down…Ok, sounds good! See you then!...Alright…Bye-bye!"

"What did you sign us up for?" Killian asked.

"We are all going to Party Palace as a support for Jack."

"His father still being a git about him being himself?"

"Unfortunately. Oh, we're gonna swing by and grab Regina on the way."

At the mention of his best friend, Killian smiled. "Okay! Well, let's be off, then!" The two went downstairs and informed their parents of their plans.

"Sounds fine to me. You two have a good time!" said William.

Anjelica kissed her children good-bye. "Off with you, then. Don't want to leave everyone waiting, after all."

With that, the Rogers duo was off to the McDonald home. As they got close to the house, they could see Regina standing on the front steps, waiting.

"Hello Regina!" said Killian.

"Hi Killian!" she answered, pulling him into a hug.

Calypso laughed and said in a fake, teary voice, "I guess I'm invisible!"

The other two laughed as well.

"Hi, Calypso!" said Regina, giving her a hug as well.

The three waved to Lyndsey in the window and began their walk to the arcade.

"How are ya, Regina?" Killian asked, putting an arm around her as they walked. Calypso smirked as Regina blushed.

"I'm good. I was just cooking with Mom. Dad said he saw Anne-Sophie today, said she was crying because she couldn't come to camp today," she answered, looking at Calypso for the last part of her response.

"Poor little love! I missed her sweet little smile today," said Calypso.

"How are you guys?" Regina asked.

"Good. Quiet today at work due to all the illness."

"Good. Twas a lazy day for me; I lounged around and read _Treasure Island_," said Killian.

Regina giggled. "It suits you!"

The trio continued to talk and tease as they walked. Soon, they arrived at the arcade.

"There's everyone else," said Calypso, pointing.

"Hey, mates!" Killian yelled.

"Hey!" Benjamin yelled back as the 2 groups met.

"Hi April! I didn't know you were in town!" said Regina.

"Hi! Yeah, I just got here. Mom's at a nursing conference, so I'm staying at Aunt Fiona's," April answered.

"Well Jack, tonight is all about you. What do ya wanna do?" Benvolio asked.

"Hmm…" the ink-haired boy thought. Just as he opened his mouth to answer, a loud rumble sounded. Everyone looked at April, who blushed and laughed nervously.

"It's been a while since I ate…I didn't wanna eat on the train because I get motion sickness sometimes…"she murmured in embarrassment.

Everyone laughed and Jack said, "How bout pizza first, then games?"

The suggestion was met with agreement. After ordering their pizza, the friends all sat down and talked about anything that had happened since they last saw each other (3 whole days ago) and, for April's benefit, anything they could think of to get her up-to-date. Then they ate their pizza and gathered around the gang's favorite game, Super Off Road (A/N: This also doesn't belong to me. This was an arcade game from 1989. It looked like a typical arcade cabinet but had three steering wheels around the front. Just like with "Youth Gone Wild", I'm fudging the year so it exists a few years before it really did) . One of the steering wheels had a paper taped to it reading "Out of Order" in large block letters.

"Alright, since it's gonna be 2 players at a time, how about Jack and Benvolio, then Regina and Killian, then Calypso and April, then I'll play whoever wins Jack and Benvolio's round?" Benjamin suggested.

"Sounds good!" said Benvolio as he and Jack stepped forward to play. Then, something bumped into him.

"Oops! I'm sorry!"


	5. The Burton Family

Chapter 5- The Burton House

Everything was quiet in the Burton household as Melina Burton finished up some paperwork while her son, Bruno, played on the floor with one of his new birthday presents. Then, the phone rang.

"I'll get it, Mama!" Bruno yelled as he ran to it. "Hello?"

"Happy Birthday Bruno!" said Thomas, his father.

"Daddy! How are you?"

"I'm good, sport. How bout you?"

"Excited! Mama said we could go to the arcade today!"

"That is exciting!"

"Are you gonna be able to come home soon, Daddy?"

"I got clearance to come home for a visit in 2 weeks. I'll be with you and Mom for 2 weeks and then go back to finish my tour."

"How long will that be?"

"About 6 months. Then good-bye desert and hello family!"

Bruno laughed happily. His father was a soldier, and he missed him when he was gone.

"I hate to cut this short, but I only have a little bit of call-time left and I wanna talk to Mom, too. Happy Birthday Bruno! I love you!"

"Love you too, Daddy! Mom! It's Daddy!"

Melina Burton came in with a happy smile as she gently took the phone from her son. "Thomas! How are you?"

While his parents talked, Bruno ran to play with his new tank. A few minutes later, Melina came back in.

"Ok, sweetie. Are you ready to go to the arcade?"

"Yeah!" he exclaimed in excitement, jumping up. The birthday boy and his mother began the walk to Party Palace Arcade. Bruno was beyond thrilled; he'd been asking for a few years to go to the arcade, but Melina had always felt like he was too young. Now that he was 12, though, Melina decided to give it a go. It was a perfect birthday gift for her precious son. They soon arrived at Party Palace. Just as they were about to go in, Melina remembered something.

"Oh no!"

"What's wrong, Mom?"

"I forgot to call Mrs. Johanson!" Spying a payphone across the boardwalk from the arcade, she said, "Honey, we're gonna go over there real quick so I can call her, then we'll go in the arcade, ok?"

Bruno frowned impatiently. "Ok, but can it be a quick call, please?"

"Yes, just a quick call," Melina agreed. She quickly put a few nickels into the payphone's slot and dialed the number. "Hello? Yes, Mrs. Johanson, I know I was supposed to call you. Yes, I know, I know…"

Bruno sighed. His mother had been an accountant for a long time, and she'd dealt with Mrs. Johanson for a lot of that time. Bruno knew that, from the way the conversation was going right now, the phone call would be long. Mrs. Johanson had become something of a family friend but was a perfectionist to a T. Hoping for the best, Bruno summoned his patience and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, after 25 minutes, Bruno couldn't stand it anymore. He looked over to the arcade, then back at his mother. Making his decision, Bruno went across the street and into the arcade. It was an amazing experience! Bruno looked around in wonder. There was so much to do! He began walking through, craning his neck to try and look at everything at once. Suddenly, he bumped into something. Looking up, he saw a tall brunette teenager standing there. "Oops! I'm sorry!" he said.

The teen chuckled. "It's alright. You ok?"

"Yeah. I'm just so excited! I've never been here before, but my mom brought me cuz it's my birthday, but she forgot to make a phone call, and she's taking too long, so I came over by myself, and here I am! Oh, I'm Bruno, by the way."

The teen chuckled again at the child's energy. "I'm Benvolio. Let me introduce you to everyone. This is my twin brother Benjamin, my cousin April, my best friend Jack, and my very close friends Regina, Killian, and Calypso." Benvolio indicated each person as he said their names. "Guys, this is Bruno. Oh, and happy birthday!"

"Thanks!"

"Do you wanna hang out with us?" April asked.

"Sure! Thank you!"


	6. It Won't Be Long Before I Becomea Puppet

Chapter 6- It Won't Be Long Before I Become a Puppet

Meanwhile, Melina finally got to the end of her call. "I'm so sor-Bruno?!" The woman began to panic when she saw her son gone. Her eyes quickly landed on the arcade sign. "Oh, Bruno!" she said, rushing across the Boardwalk. "Bruno?!" she called.

A man in a purple suit and Mardi Gras mask approached her. "Is everything alright?" he asked, his voice peppered with a weak German accent.

"My son, I think he ran over here! I was bringing him for his birthday, but I had to make a call and…"

"Don't worry; I'll help you find him," the man said.

"Thank you, sir!"

"What's your son's name?"

"Bruno."

"How old is he?"

"12. He just turned 12 today."

Ok. Uh, he wouldn't happen to have brown hair and blue eyes, would he?"

"Yes!"

"Yeah, um, he's here. He's hanging out with a group of kids."

"Thank God! Oh, thank you!"

"You're welcome. Uh, tell you what…do you wanna come with me and set up a special party room for him and his buddies?"

"Sure! Thank you so much!" Melina followed the man to the party room. He held the door open for her.

"Ladies first," he said politely.

Melina smiled and went into the room. She frowned as she looked around. The room was dusty as though it had been unused for some time. There was a large sheet of plastic laid on the floor and looked like an old storage room. There were piles of empty costume heads and masks sitting up against the wall on the floor. "What's-!" she cut off as she saw him step in and lock the door. "What are you doing?!" she asked, beginning to get scared.

With a twisted grin, the man pulled out a knife and stalked towards Melina. "Why, I'm silencing you, of course."

Melina screamed and tried to run away, but the man grabbed her around the waist and slit her throat.

"I've been watching those children for a while. I won't let you interfere with my plans!"

Melina, dizzy from blood loss, tried to fight back, but it was no good. With a few last, gurgling breaths, Melina Burton went limp and died.

The Purple Guy dragged Melina's body into a corner behind a large box and placed a Noh mask over her face. Then he rolled up the bloodied plastic and put a clean sheet down on the floor. He then quickly wiped his hands and left the room.

*IN ANOTHER REALM*

Melina's spirit looked down at her body. "Bruno, I've got to warn him! He's got to get out of there! They all do!" she cried.

"Melina Burton," a feather-light voice called from behind her. Melina turned and saw a white-haired young woman in a flowing sky blue gown looking at her with gentle honey eyes.

"Who are you?" Melina questioned.

"My name is Lucille. I am a Soul Shepherd."

"A what?"

"A Soul Shepherd. My job is to help souls like you that have died violently. Normally, this would mean helping you come to terms with your death so you can go on. However, there are some special circumstances at work in your case, so I'm going to do something different. I can't restore your life completely, but I can reanimate your soul. I'm going to put your soul into the mask your killer placed on your body and make you a new body to use."

"But why?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you yet. You'll see very soon. I will warn you, though; you won't like what I have to say. At least, not at first."

Melina sighed. "V-very well."

The Soul Shepherd smiled kindly and took Melina's hand. In an instant, the two were back in the room where Melina was murdered, standing by her body. The next thing Melina knew, she was seeing everything from the eyes of the Noh mask. Looking down at herself, she saw a long, lean body as black as a shadow. "This is weird…" she muttered. Then she stood up, looked around the room, and screamed.


	7. We're Forced to Take That Role

A/N: I completely forgot to mention that Mrs. Johanson and Lucille also belong to me. Whoopsie…

Chapter 7-We're Forced to Take That Role

Bruno was having the time of his life! He was finally at the arcade and he had made 7 amazing new friends. Since there were now 8 players, they decided to pair Benjamin with Calypso and April with Bruno so that the age gap wasn't so big. A few rounds in, the man in purple approached them.

"Are you Bruno the birthday boy?"

"Uh…" Bruno started uncertainly.

"Why do you ask?" Calypso asked, immediately wary of the phony-sounding voice inquiring about a child. The man smiled.

"Bruno's mom came in looking for her son and was happy to see him safe and playing with friends. She's got a special surprise for her son and his new friends and she sent me to escort you."

"Okay," April answered.

The 8 followed the man in purple to the surprise. They walked down a dirty corridor.

"Um, are you sure this is the right way?" Regina asked nervously.

"Absolutely. Um, I do apologize for the way the hallway looks; we used to have parties here all the time, but most people just have them out on the beach now, so the janitors don't pay this hall much mind," the man explained.

"Oh, ok."

Finally, they reached a door at the end of the hall. The man in purple opened it for them. "Close your eyes and go ahead in, guys." The children all complied and walked in hand-in-hand in a sideways chain. The purple man went in behind them and locked the door. "Alright; you can open your eyes!" The children all did so, but began looking around in confusion. Calypso got a sick feeling in her gut; she realized that her beginning suspicions had been quite justified.

"Oh no…"

The man in purple pulled his knife out. "Everybody do what I say; it will be better for you!"

Everyone looked to the Charles twins and Calypso as the oldest. Calypso spoke in a resigned tone of voice, "What do you want us to do?"

"Stand still and let me tie you up. No screaming, any of you," Purple Guy ordered.

The children looked at each other nervously before complying. The man walked to each child and tied their arms and legs up. Then he walked over to Bruno, knife still in hand. "I have to give out the gifts," he said with a demented grin. "Birthday boy first!"

An hour later, the Purple Guy looked at the carnage he'd caused. After checking himself for blood (he was covered in it), changing clothes, disposing of the bloodied clothing, and cleaning his hands, he pulled out a small phone and dialed a number. The caller on the other end answered on the second ring, and the man began to speak, the accent (which was indeed fake) gone. "Hello, hello? Heellooo? Uh, hi Bobby, it's me. Yeah, um, I need to come over… uh-huh…8 kids and a woman…alright, see ya then…Bye." He locked the door back behind him and quickly got to a place in the arcade where it wouldn't be incriminating to be found. Then he stealthily made his escape.

~Back in the room~

Melina stood up, looked around the room, and screamed. The dead children were sprawled across the room, some more badly mutilated than others, but all of them were covered with blood. Melina's gaze then fell on a very familiar child. "BRUNO!" she glided over to him and put his head in her lap. "My sweet baby…" The poor soul threw her masked head back and let out an anguished cry. She then whipped her head around angrily to Lucille. "Why? Why would you bring me back when my child is dead?!" Then she saw a row of old costume heads behind the Soul Shepherd. She could hear Lucille's voice but didn't comprehend the words. A plan forming in her mind, Melina began grabbing the heads and putting them over the children's. Then she turned back to Lucille. The Soul Shepherd started to speak, "Melina, I'm so sorry. This is the way it had to be. I-"

"Fix them," Melina ordered.

"What?"

"Fix them like you fixed me! That can be part of the so-called special circumstances in my case."

Lucille was silent for a moment. Then she answered, "It already was, my dear." Lucille held out her right hand and said, "Come!" A golden shepherd's crook materialized in her hand. She walked around the room looking at each child. Then she raised her staff. "Come to me, Benvolio Charles, Benjamin Charles, Jack Harris, Regina McDonald, Killian Rogers, Calypso Rogers, Bruno Burton, and April Anderson!" As she said each name, a ball of misty silver came floating towards the crook. Lucille slammed the crook to the floor. Then each ball changed form to the ghostly outline of each child. Each of them began looking around in confusion.

"Bruno?" Melina whispered.

The child turned and looked at the figure in the mask. "Mommy?! Is that you?"

"Yes!" she confirmed, hugging him tightly. As they separated, Melina asked Lucille, "Why does no one come? There's been a lot of noise."

"We are in a frozen pocket of spare in this room. No one will hear anything until the reanimations are complete."

"Reanimations?" Killian asked.

"Yes," Lucille answered. "You all died violent deaths, and normally, my job would be to console you and lead you on to Paradise. However, this case is special. Your destiny, all of you, is to stop your killer before he kills again. You were not his first victims, but if you succeed, you will be his last. I've reanimated Melina's soul into the mask and produced a body for her. I will do the same for each of you, placing your souls in the heads on your bodies. Do you understand?"

Benvolio spoke up. "If we do this, if we stop the Purple Guy, what will happen to us afterwards?"

"You will then be able to go on to Paradise, all 9 of you."

"I'm in."

The other children murmured agreement. Lucille nodded and turned to Melina.

"And you?"

"Of course!"

"Alright. Now each of you will be given new names to go with your new identities. This way no one will know who you really are if they see you."

"What if we see our parents?" Regina asked.

"They can't know yet, I'm afraid." The white-haired woman looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'll arrange it so that, after your mission, you may see your parents before you go on."

The blonde nodded her understanding.

"Well, let's get started, then. Melina, we'll start with you. Your name will be Marionette."

"Do I have to call her that?" Bruno asked.

"No, dear. You can still call her Mom. Benvolio, you will be called Freddy, and Benjamin, you will be called Gold."

"Hmm… I like it!" said Freddy.

"Yeah, me too!" agreed Gold.

Lucille picked up her staff again. She pointed it at Freddy, then at the brown bear head. All of a sudden. Freddy vanished and the bear head rose up. There was a flash, and when it cleared, the bear head now had a matching brown bear body. The once empty eye sockets now glowed the same brilliant blue as Benvolio's eyes.

"Freddy?" Gold asked tentatively.

"Yeah?" the bear answered.

"Just making sure."

Lucille then repeated the process on Gold with the yellow bear head.

"This feels odd, yet, normal, at the same time," he observed, moving his new bear arms.

"Yeah," Freddy agreed.

"Jack, your turn," said Lucille. "You will now be called Bonnie."

"Isn't that a girl's name?" Bruno asked.

"I think it's supposed to be a play on the word 'bunny'", said April.

"Different, but I can't say I dislike it," the newly-christened Bonnie answered.

"It suits you, Bonnie Rabbit," said Freddy teasingly.

"As does yours, Fred Bear," said Bonnie.

Lucille placed Bonnie's soul in the purple rabbit head.

"Bonnie, your bowtie!" said Regina, pointing.

The rabbit looked down by the body and grinned happily. "Thanks!" he exclaimed, picking it up.

"Regina dear, you're new name is Chica," said Lucille.

"Like a chicken?" she asked.

"It works; you've always been good at cooking it!" Killian snarked.

"Shut it," Chica answered, though she was smiling. Her soul soon bonded with the chicken head, then it was Killian and Calypso's turns.

"Killian, you are now Foxy, and Calypso shall be Mangle."

"Such a piratey name, Foxy is," his sister teased.

"Because Mangle is definitely child-friendly," he shot back.

Both siblings were satisfied after their souls were bound to the fox heads as they saw that Foxy's body came with a hook on the hand he'd lost in his last moments of life and Mangle's was gentle in appearance.

"Bruno, your name is BB," the Soul Shepherd told him.

"Is that short for something?" he asked.

"It can be if you want."

"How 'bout Balloon Boy?"

Marionette turned to her son. "Why Balloon Boy, my dear?"

"Cuz I love balloons, so why not?" he responded with a shrug.

She smiled and nodded.

BB was placed in the lone human-looking head. April was the last soul to be placed.

"April, you will be called Song," Lucille told her.

"Pretty!" the girl commented before she was bound to the panda head.

"Okay, my dears. I am placing you in the care of my friend Jeremy Fitzgerald. He's a single businessman with a heart of gold. I know he'll help. Are you ready?"

"Yes!" they all answered.

"Then let's go."


End file.
